Monday, August 3, 2015

It is August 3 and just as it was teased last week, Sony today announced two new members to the Xperia family - the Xperia C5 Ultra and the Xperia M5, pretty nice additions to its lineup. The M5, in particular, is touted as the "super mid-range" device and judging by its specs it could be a pretty well-bodied trooper, all things considered.

What makes the Xperia M5 a noteworthy device? Surprisingly many things, actually. The phone, which can be viewed as a successor to the Xperia M4 Aqua, comes with a 5-inch 1080p display and is powered by a 64-bit MediaTek MT6795 chipset, a 2.0GHz octa-core silicon that is a member of MediaTek's top-end Helio X10 line.

There's also 3GB of RAM on the Xperia M5, 16GB of native storage and a microSD card slot, and a 2,600mAh battery at the back to keep lights on. Android 5.0 Lollipop with Sony's Xperia UI atop are responsible for the software part of the device. Both single-SIM and dual-SIM variants of the Xperia M5 will be available. Oh, and did we say that it will support LTE in certain regions?

Undoubtedly, the highlight of the phone is its camera, a 21.5MP rear snapper that has an f/2.2 aperture and has a maximum light sensitivity of up to ISO 3200. The rear camera comes with a fast hybrid autofocus that is reportedly able to do its mojo in merely 250 milliseconds (that's pretty fast!). We also have 4K video capture on board. In the meantime, the front-facing snapper is also a pretty compelling one: Sony put a 13MP selfie shooter up front, which comes with autofocus and allows you to record 1080p videos on the go.

The Xperia M5 is dust- and water-proof (IP65/IP68), but what's interesting is that its USB port is a capгless one - you won't need to close or open the protective flap when you need access to the port, which is a pretty convenient feature.

Sadly, we know neither where the Xperia M5 will be sold nor its pricing, though the rumor mill claims it might cost roughly EUR 360 (~$395). The phone will be available in black, white, and gold, just as Sony teased last week. Do you like it?

Sid Goswami is a tech enthusiast, besides being an avid Android fan and blogger, Sid wants to be a photographer and a designer. He can usually be found reading through blogs, taking photos. He's a student and a PHP web developer.